The Hobart hockey team will open the New England Hockey Conference Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 17. The Statesmen are the No. 2 seed and host No. 7 Southern Maine for a quarterfinal game in The Cooler at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. HWS students will be admitted free with valid ID courtesy of the Statesmen Athletic Association.
Hobart is ranked No. 9 in the nation is this week’s D3hockey.com and USHCO.com polls. The Statesmen bring a 15-5-5 overall record and a 12-3-3 mark in the NEHC into the postseason. Hobart leads the conference in scoring defense (1.96 ga/gm) and ranks second in scoring offense (3.72 g/gm). The Statesmen also rank second in the NEHC on the penalty kill (84.7%).
Junior Jonas Toupal leads Hobart with 28 points on 14 goals and 14 assists. He is tied for third in the conference in goals, ranks fifth in points and eighth in assists. Sophomore Lawson MacDougall has notched a team-high 17 assists and added three goals for 20 points. He is fourth in the NEHC in assists. Senior Frank Oplinger and sophomore Alexander Connal have spilt time in goal. Oplinger has a 6-2-3 record, a 2.25 goals against average and a .911 save percentage, while Connal is 9-3-2 this season with a 1.69 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. Connal sits atop the NEHC in goals against average, save percentage and win percentage (.929).
Hobart and Southern Maine met twice this season. On Nov. 3, 2017, the Statesmen earned an 8-1 victory in Gorham, Maine, and on Jan. 27, 2018, Hobart blanked the Huskies 4-0 in Geneva. Southern Maine closed out the regular season with a 3-18-4 overall record and a 3-12-3 mark in the NEHC.
Brendan Murphy leads the Huskies with 12 points on four goals and eight assists. Parker Sanderson has a team-high six goals and four assists for 10 points. Anthony D’Aloisio has played the most minutes in goal. He’s sporting a 3.24 goals against average, an .895 save percentage and a 3-14-4 record.
Fans unable to make it to Saturday’s game can follow the action online with Live Stats and All-Access Video.
